Cutoff mechanism



March 3, 1964 N; J. ROSENBURGH CUTOFF MECHANISM 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Dec. 18, 1961 NORMAN J ROSENBURGHI INVENTOR BY Z Z fii/ma ATTORNEYS March 1964 N. J. ROSENBURGH CUTOFF MECHANISM 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Dec. 18, 1961 Fig.2

March 3, 1964 N. J. ROSENBURGH CUTOFF MECHANISM 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Dec. 18, 1961 NORMA/V J RUSENBURGH By %M/% I: 22,95 7. Unlted States Patent Ofiice Patented 2 1 3,122,957 CUTQFF MECHANISM Norman J. Rosenhurgh, Rochester, N .Y., assignor to Eastman Kodak Company, Rochester, N.Y., a corporation of New Jersey Filed Dec. 18, 1951, Ser. No. 169,146 4 Claims. (Ci. 83-443) This invention relates to a cutoff mechanism and more particularly to a severing device for cutting oif discrete lengths of sheet material from a supply thereof.

The cutoff mechanism of the present invention was originally devised for use in a projection printer wherein exposed lengths of photosensitive print material are severed from the remainder thereof and are passed through a processing unit for developing the latent image on the material and thereafter discharged from the front of the apparatus to be received by the operator. In order to facilitate the understanding of the various features of the invention, it will be described herein with reference to the apparatus with which it was originally devised to be used. However, it is to be understood that the cutoff mechanism could be used with equal facility in other types of apparatus where it is desired to cut off a length of sheet or strip material. While a great number of sheet severing mechanisms have been devised, many involve complicated structural elements, are expensive to manufacture, and are not completely reliable in use. The cutofi mechanism of the present invention overcomes these disadvantages encountered with some of the known prior art devices and, in addition, embodies some novel features not found in the known severing devices. Thus, broadly the present invention comprises one fixed blade and one blade which is movable with respect to the fixed blade, each blade having a cutting edge which is urged into contact with the other during a severing operation and means carried by the movable blade for guiding the strip material both prior to, during, and after cutoif.

The primary object of the present invention is therefore to provide an improved severing mechanism for cutting oif strip or sheet materials.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a severing mechanism having means for guiding the strip or sheet material to be cut off as the material is moved through the mechanism, both before, during and after cutofi of the material.

Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a severing mechanism having novel features which simplify construction and use and provide a reliable cutofi operation.

Still other objects and advantages of the present invention will become readily apparent to those skilled in the art from the following description with reference to the drawings in which like characters denote like parts and wherein:

HQ. 1 is an elevation View showing the severing mechanism of the present invention as it is incorporated in a projection printer accessory;

FIG. 2 is a front elevation view taken along the lines 22 of FIG. 1; and

FIGS. 3 through are sectional views of the severing mechanism illustrating various operative positions thereof, FIGS. 3 and 4 being taken along line 4--4 of FIG. 2 and FIG. 5 being taken along line 5-5 of FIG. 2 but showing the movable blade as if it occupied the position indicated in phantom in FIG. 2.

The projection printer accessory shown in FIG. 1 comprises a roll of print material 11 which is mounted within frame '13 of the apparatus. The frame is mounted within a housing so that light from the environs is excluded from the print material as it is moved through the accessory. LA section of the print material M is moved by a drive roller 15 over a glass platen 17, which defines'an exposure station in the accessory, and up to the cutoff station designated generally by the numeral 19. An exposure of the photosensitive print material M can be effected when the material is situated over the platen 17 upon initiating an exposure cycle by the operator. The mechanism for making and controlling the exposure forms no part of the present invention and will not be described herein. The drive roller 15 is driven by a cam motor 21 through a chain 23, a sprocket 25 on the cam motor and a sprocket 27 which is mounted on the same shaft that carries drive roller 15. Cam motor 21 also drives the chopper cam 29 from a sprocket 35 through a chain 31 which engages sprocket 33 fixed on the same shaft as cam 29. The purpose of chopper cam 29 is to coordinate severing in the cutoff station 19 with the movement of the print material M through the apparatus.

The numeral 41 designates the chopper cam follower which is pivotally mounted on a stud 43 carried by frame 13. The other end of follower 41 is connected by means of drag link 45 to a chopper crank 47 and to the left chopper link 4-9. Chopper crank 47 is mounted for pivotal movement about a shaft 51 and link 49 is connected to the movable knife 53 in the cutoff station 19'. The chopper crank 47, the chopper link 49', the knife spring crank 55, the knife spring 57 and spring 59' have similar corresponding parts on the other side of the apparatus. The corresponding parts operate together during movement of the movable knife 53 as will be more fully set forth herein. Spring 57 urges movable knife 53 upwardly towards the top of the accessory during cutoff of the print material and'spring 59 maintains knife 53 in operative severing relation, that is, edge contact with the fixed knife 61. The purpose of spring 63 on the other hand is to maintain the cam follower 41 in contact with the surface of cam 29. Cam motor 21 is started as the result of the depressing of print button 65 which is operatively associated through a switch rod 67 and dog 69 with an electrical switch, not shown, which controls a plication of electrical power to cam motor 21.

The details of construction of the cutoif mechanism of the present invention is best described with reference to FIGS. 2 through 5. [In FIG. 2, it will be noted that the movable knife 53 has a substantially Z-shaped profile,

the parallel leg portions of the knife being connected to the left and right chopper links 49 and 49' respectively. The profile of fixed knife 61 as shown in FIG. 2 is also substantially Z-shaped but the cutting edge of knife 61 is disposed substantially at right angles to the parallel leg portions thereof. As can be seen in FIGS. 35 the leg portions of the knives and the cutting edges thereof are mounted for slidable movement relative to each other. The amount of that movement is limited by the length of the slots 71 and 71'.

Bracket 81 and the guide plate 83, which is pivotally carried thereby, guide the print material M as it passes through the cutoff station 19'. Bracket 81 is fixed on the upper surface of movable knife 53- and moves as a unit therewith. The guiding function of bracket 81 and plate 83 will be more fully explained hereinafter.

The printer accessory also includes a processing station 85 which as shown in FIG. 4 is in the path of print material M after the material leaves the cutoff station 19. The processing station 85 comprises an upper tray 87, a middle tray 89 and a lower tray 91. Upper tray 87 has a fitting 93 which is adapted to be connected to a hose 95 through which processing solution is pumped from a supply, not shown, to the processing station. The

processing solution collects in the arcuate print material path established between 'the upper may and the middle tray so as to contact the print material as it is advanced through the processing station and thereby develop the latent image carried by the print material M. The middle tray 89 has a front portion which is connected by a weir 97 to the arcuate path and has a drain hole 5 9 through which processing solution flows into the lower tray 91 where it is guided by means of groove 101 to the fitting 10-3 and returned by suitable hosing 1135 to the supply for recirculation. A pair of squeegee drive rollers 107 and 197 are disposed at the front portion of the station and these drive rollers squeegee excess solution from the print material as it passes therebetween and drive the print material out over the paper guide shelf 1439 to the front of the printer accessory where it is received by the operator. The knobs 111 are used to hold three trays of the processing station together.

Before describing the operation of the cutoff mechanism in its environs it is to be noted that in FIG. 2 the numeral 1-21 designates a mirror which is mounted on suitable brackets 123 for pivotal movement during print exposure in the projection printer to a position where the 'mirror intercepts the projected image and directs the same to the printing station 'on glass platen 17'. This particular portion of the'apparatus does not form a part of the present invention and therefore will not be described further in detail herein} V FIG. 3 shows the relative positions taken by the movable knife 53 and the fixed knife 61 at the time when follower 41 has moved off the lowerpo-rtions of cam 29 and feeding movement of print material M has been initiated. The print material passes through bracket 81 and strikes the guide plate 83 and is guided by the plate 83 into the throat 125 between the upper tray 87 and middle tray 89 of the processing station 85. Squeegee drive rollers 1477 and 107 are driven by means, not shown, at a rate which is slightly slower than the peripheral speed of drive roller 15 and for this reason print material M after being engaged by rollers 107 and 107' begins to form a loop under the guide plate 83 as shown in FIG. 4. Shortly, however, the cam follower 41 drops off the high spot on cam surface '29, cam motor 21 stops halting movegment of unexposed print material and with springs 59 and 57 and the corresponding springs on the other side of the printer accessory draw movable blade 53 with its cutting edge 127 upward and across the cutting ,confined by the guide plate 83 after cutoff'and is not misdirected prior to cutofii It will now be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the cutoff mechanismherein disclosed provides an efiicient means for severing strip or sheet material. In addition, it will be noted that the cutoff mechanism in- .cludes a novel guide means which is adapted to control and guide the print material, (1) as it is being fed to the severing mechanism prior to cutofi, (2) dining cutoff of the material and (3) after cutofi. V V

' The invention'has been described in detail with particular reference to preferred embodiments thereof but it will be understood-that variations and modifications can be effected within the spirit and scope of the inventionlas described hereinabove and as defined in the appended claims. I V 7 Having now particularly descn'bed my invention what I desire to secure by Letters Patent of the Unite'd States and what I claim is: a V

1. A severing mechanism for use in an apparatus having means for feeding strip material through a predetermined path, comprising:

() means for mounting said second blade for movement between at least two positions while maintaining the cutting edges of the blades in contact with each other,

(l) the blade in one of said positions being disposed on the side of said path opposite said one side, and

(2) in the other of said positions being disposed on said one side whereby movement between said positions severs the material in said path between said blades,

(d) means for moving said second blade from said one to said other position,

(e) a channel shaped bracket mounted on said second blade and forming-therewith a tunnel through which the material passes as it moves through said path; and

(f) a guide plate pivotally mounted on said bracket for movement about an axis which is parallel to ing means for feeding strip material through a predetermined path, comprising: a

(a) a fixed blade and a second blade having substantially Z-shaped profiles, each profile comprising two 7 parallel ends joined by an intermediate section which is provided with a cutting edge, the configuration of the profile of the fixed blade difiering from that of the second blade in that the intermediate section of the fixed blade is disposed at an angle with respect to the parallel ends which angle is greater than V the corresponding angle in the second blade;

' (b) means associated with the parallel ends of the profile of the fixed blade for rigidly mounting the fixed blade on one side of said path; (c) means associated with the parallel ends of the profile of the second blade for mounting said second blade for movement between at. least two positions while maintaining the cutting edges of the blades in substantially traveling point contact with each other,

(1) the blade in one of said positions being disposed onthe side of said path opposite said one side and V (2) in the other of said positions being disposed on said one side whereby movement between said positions severs the materialVin said path between said blades; 7

(d) means for moving said second blade from said a one to said other position; 7 V

(e) a channel shaped bracket mounted on the intermediate section of the profile of said second blade and forming therewith a' tunnel through which the material passesVas 'it moves through said path; and

' (f) a guide plate pivotally mounted along one edge thereof on said bracket for movement about an axis 6'5 which is parallel to the plane of the material in said ment of said material therethrough, saidplate extending outwardly from said second blade in the direction of said travel, to engage and direct'the material prior to and during severing movement of said path after completion of such severing movement.

3. A severingmechanismin accordance with claim 2 and wherein said second blade is guided during movement with respect to the fixed blade through Vsliding engage- 5 ment of the respective parallel ends of the blades.

the plane of the material in saidtunnel and pertunnel and perpendicular to the direction of move-r blades and to confine the severed material to said 4. A severing mechanism in accordance with claim 2 and wherein:

(a) said one side of said path is above the path of feeding movement of said strip material,

(b) said other side of said path is under the path of feeding movement, and

(c) said second blade moves upwardly relative to the fixed blade during severing of the material and said plate is disposed over said path so that the Weight of the material during and after completion of the severing movement of said blades.

References Cited in the file of this patent of the plate acts downwardly on the upper surface 10 2 219,650

UNITED STATES PATENTS Helsel Oct. 29, 1940 

1. A SEVERING MECHANISM FOR USE IN AN APPARATUS HAVING MEANS FOR FEEDING STRIP MATERIAL THROUGH A PREDETERMINED PATH, COMPRISING: (A) A FIXED BLADE HAVING A CUTTING EDGE AND MOUNTED ON ONE SIDE OF SAID PATH, (B) A SECOND BLADE HAVING A CUTTING EDGE, (C) MEANS FOR MOUNTING SAID SECOND BLADE FOR MOVEMENT BETWEEN AT LEAST TWO POSITIONS WHILE MAINTAINING THE CUTTING EDGES OF THE BLADES IN CONTACT WITH EACH OTHER, (1) THE BLADE IN ONE OF SAID POSITIONS BEING DISPOSED ON THE SIDE OF SAID PATH OPPOSITE SAID ONE SIDE, AND (2) IN THE OTHER OF SAID POSITIONS BEING DISPOSED ON SAID ONE SIDE WHEREBY MOVEMENT BETWEEN SAID POSITIONS SEVERS THE MATERIAL IN SAID PATH BETWEEN SAID BLADES, (D) MEANS FOR MOVING SAID SECOND BLADE FROM SAID ONE TO SAID OTHER POSITION, 